The Twins unloaded their five top relievers at the trade deadline—Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia, Griffin Jax to the Rays, Louie Varland to the Blue Jays, Brock Stewart to the Dodgers and Danny Coulombe to the Rangers—shifting the late innings to a new group and leaving questions about an immediate payoff with their prospects haul. Duran has thrived in Philly (1.69 ERA) while the other four have struggled with their new clubs, fueling debate on whether the risk was worth the potential long-term gain.

Ten Aug-Sept relief-heavy games that could have swung Minnesota’s results underline the volatility of such a purge. The Daily Delivery podcast weighs the possibility of a stronger bullpen in 2026 against the palpable cost in 2025, while also touching on Vikings optimism (and pessimism) and a subplot about J.J. McCarthy in quarterback-adjacent chatter. Fantasy players should watch how the rebuilt pen settles in and which rookie arms rise into key roles as the season winds down.